Date of Birth: Say 1010×5?Place of
Birth: Unknown.The accounts of Duncan's death in
the Annals of Tigernach and the Chronicon Scotorum
state that he was killed at an untimely or premature age (immatura
aetate) [see below under death]. Assuming that he was an
adult at the time of his accession, which seems likely, an age at
death between 25 and 30 would seem to fit the expression "immatura
aetate" well enough. The fact that he was survived by
his father, who was killed in battle five years later, also
suggests that he died at a fairly young age [see the page of Crínán]. Also, the fact that he succeeded his grandfather
suggests that he was fairly young at the time.

Father:Crínán, d. 1045, abbot of Dunkeld.The Annals of Ulster, Annals
of Tigernach, and Annals of Loch Cé all agree in
giving the name of Duncan's father as Crínán, so the Crítán
of Chronicon Scotorum is presumably a copying error [see
above under date of death]. The regnal lists give Crínán's name
in more corrupt forms [Crau, Trini, Crini,
Kryn, see above], but call him abbot of Dunkeld, thus
identifying him with the Crínán abbot of Dunkeld who died in
1045 [see the page of Crínán].

Mother:Bethóc, daughter of Máel Coluim (Malcolm)
II, king of Scotland.
As noted above Marianus Scottus states that Duncan was the son of
a daughter of Malcolm II. His mother's name is given a Bethóc in
some of the regnal lists [see above].

According to the late fourteenth century
account of John of Fordun, during the reign of Malcolm II, his
grandson Duncan, who held Cumbria, refused homage for it to king
Cnut. Cnut, after returning from his Roman pilgrimage, marched
against Duncan with the intent of incorporating Cumbria into the
English kingdom. However, a peace was arranged, under which
Duncan was to hold Cumbria under Cnut [Fordun, iv, 41 (p. 183);
Freeman (1870-9), 1: 449, 762]. Cnut's pilgrimage apparently took
place in 1027 [see Freeman (1870-9), 1: 751-3], which would
apparently place these events toward the end of Malcolm's reign.
However, Fordun is not necessarily a reliable source, and it
would be unwise to accept that Duncan was king of Cumbria based
on Fordun alone. Thus, it is of interest that both William of
Malmesbury and John of Worcester (as well as Simeon of Durham,
following John) appear to confirm Duncan's status as king of
Cumbria when they state that Siward of Northumbria, upon
defeating Macbeth (apparently in 1054), enthroned Malcolm, filius
regis Cumbrorum [Wm. Malmes., Gesta Regum, c. 196
(1: 237); John Worc., s.a. 1054 (1: 212); similarly in Sim.
Durh., c. 140 (2: 171); see the page of Malcolm III for further details]. If this Malcolm, filius regis
Cumbrorum, were the same person as Malcolm III, as has
usually been assumed, then there would be a strong case for
regarding his father Duncan as king of the Cumbrians at some
point during his life. However, it has been suggested that
Malcolm, filius regis Cumbrorum, was not Malcolm III of
Scotland, but a king of Cumbria (Strathclyde) [Duncan (2002),
40-1; Broun (2004), 133-5, 138]. Since the name Malcolm had
previously appeared in the Strathclyde dynasty, and since so
little is known about Cumbrian history, the survival of that
dynasty until the middle years of the eleventh century is a
reasonable possibility. Thus, we lack convincing evidence that
Duncan was a king of the Cumbrians, although it cannot be ruled
out.

Bibliography

ASC = Charles Plummer, Two of the Saxon
Chronicles parallel, based on the earlier edition by John
Earle, 2 vols. (Oxford, 1892-9). ASC(A) indicates the
"A" manuscript of the chronicle, and similarly for the
other manuscripts.